Car-coupling.



Patented Nov-5, |90I. J. TIMMS. f CAR COUPLINE.

'Application filed July 20, 1901.:

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

"\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\wrf Paented Nov. 5, |90I.

J. TIMMS.

CAR -CUPLING.

(Application filed July 20. 1901.1

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

/NVENTOR WIT/VESSES www.

A Homey UNITED STATES PATENT "OFFICE,

JAMES TIMMS, OF COLUMBUS, OHI'O, ASSIGNOR TO THE BUOKEYE MALLE- ABLEIRON AND OOUPLER COMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION 'forming' part 'of Letters Patent No. 685,802, dated.November 5, 1901.V Application filed J'nly 20, 1901. Serial No. 69,116.(No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be itknown that I, JAMES TIMMS, of Columbus, in the county of Franklinand State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inOar-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

AMy invention relates to an improvement in car-couplings, one object ofthe same being to provide improved locking mechanism which when operatedwill throw open the knuckle, but which can be so set as to permit theknuckle to be opened by a pull thereon.

A further object is to provide a single block which can be operated tolock the knuckle, open the same, and which can be set in position topermit the knuckle to be opened, and is designed particularly as animprovement on my Patent No. 678,145,granted me July 2,1901.

With these objects in view the invention consists in certain novelfeatures of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, aswill be more fully hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view, partly brokenaway, illustrating myimprovements. Fig. 2 is a top view, partly insection. Fig. 3 is a View illustrating the locking-block removed. Fig. 4is a viewshowing the latter set. Fig. 5 is a view in section looking atthe rear of the knuckle, showing the locking-block in its lockedposition; and Fig. 6 is a view of a modified form of my invention.

1 represents the coupling-head, to which is pivotally connected theknuckle 2 by a pin 3, and said knuckle 2 being made on its inner endwith a tail 5, curved approximately con,- centric with the axis of theknuckle, and the coupling is made with a hollow enlargement 6 to receivethe tail of the knuckle when the latter is closed.

7 represents the angular locking-block, which is mounted to move in achamber 8 in the coupling-head and is confined and operated within saidchamber, so that no portion of said block will project beyond the wallof the head,where it would be liable to be broken. The locking-blockthus confined is operated by a chain 9, secured thereto and extended upthrough an opening 10 in the couplinghead, which opening is located toone side of the center of the block 7, so as to give a lateral as wellas a vertical pull on the block to tipit to an inclined position, aswill more fully hereinafter appear. A suitable cap or closure 10a issecured on one of the links of the chain to close the opening 10 whenthe knuckle is 6o locked and prevent the chain from falling intothe-coupling-head. The block 7 is chambered, as at 11, to form theshoulder 12, which latter is beveled or undercut, as shown in Fig. 4, toengage the hook or seat 19, secured to or formed integral with the head1 above the tail of the knuckle, the upper face of the hook or seat 19being similarly curved or beveled,

so as to positively retain the block in its elevated position againstaccidental displace 7o ment. The block is made with a vertical groove'13to receive a tongue 14 on the knuckle and securely lock the same in thehead. The lower portion of the block 7 is cut away or recessed, as at15, sufciently to permit the tail of the knuckle to pass freely betweenabeveled or inclined lip 16 at the lower end of the block and a shoulder17, formed by the recess in the block and located abouty midway betweenthe endsthereof, for a purpose which 8o will more fully hereinafterappear.

When it is desired to open the knuckle, th chain 9 is pulled upward tolift block 7, drawing the grooved portion 13 thereof free from thetongue 14, and when the tail 5 of the 85 knuckle alines with therecessed portion 15 of the block a further upward pull on the chain willdraw the lip 16 in an oblique direction against the beveled or inclinedlower face of the tail 5, and owing to the cam action 9o 0f the lip 16against the tail of the knuckle throw the latter to its extremeopenposition. Vhen the pull on the chain is released, the shoulder 17will rest on the knuckle-tail and remain thereon until the knuckle isclosed, when the block will fall into'its locked position abovedescribed.

If cars are coupled together and it is desired to unlock the knuckleWithout opening the same, the block 7 is drawn up far enough Ioo toaline the tail of the knuckle with the recessed portion 15 thereon, thechain exerting a lateral as well as a vertical pull on the block,tilting it and pulling the lip 12 over onto the seat 19, secured toorintegral with the drawhead in a position above the tail of theknuckle, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4, and as the lip 12 and theseat 19 are slightly inclined the block will be retained in thisinclined position, and thereby make it difficulttoshake or jar it fromoff its seat. When the cars pull apart, the knuckle will be drawn to itsopen position, and the tail thereof will move through the recessedportion 15 of the block and support the latter during its opening andclosing movement.

The upper face of the tail of the knuckle from the tongue 14 rearwardlyis approximately fiat or horizontal, as shown at 5a, for

-the purpose of permitting the knuckle to turn in its opening movementsome little distance before engaging the shoulder 17 of thelocking-block for dislodging the latter from its set position, and theupper surface of the curved edge of the tail from the point 5a to its'rear end is upwardly inclined to engage the shoulder 17 of thelocking-block and disengage it from its seat 19. The upper surface ofthe tail between the pivot-pin and the outer curved edge is madeslightly convex or is inclined upwardly from its curved edge toward thepivot-pin of the knuckle, so as to engage the shoulder 17 near its freeedge or its edge adjacent to the tail, and thus cause the locking-blockto tip outwardly and carry the lip 12 out of the path of the hook 19, so

vthat in the locking action of the knuckle when the locking-block issupported wholly on the tail of the knuckle the lip 12 descends in aplane outside of the plane of the seat 19,

thus permitting the block to fall to its lockedposition Withoutinterference.

The locking-block is,as before stated chainbered to form a beveledshoulder 12, which when the block 7 is raised so that thelocking-surface thereof clears that of the knucklearm it (the lock) willby reason of the diagonal or oblique movement given it by the chainengage with or rest on the corresponding seat or projection 19,t`ormedon the coupling-head, and thus hold the lock in a suspended positionindependent of the knuckle-tail when the latter is in its closed orlocked position. The locking-block 7 maintains this independent positionrelative to the knuckle-tail up to a position of the latter between thatof fully closed and fully opened.

As the knuckle-tail swings outwardly a point in its movement is reachedwhen it engages the locking-block, and continuing its movement moves thelatter up and away from its support, completely disengaging the two, asbefore explained, and thus carrying the lock on the upper surface of theknuckletail and putting it in a position to drop into a locked positionwhen the knuckle-tail shall have been swung to a closed or lockedposition.

In Fig. G I have shown a construction wherean opening 21 in the wall ofthe couplinghead. locking-block is at or near the top of the lat- .70757In both instances the support of the V: l.

ter, so as to permit it to swing on and oifthe Y support with theVnormal movements of the knuckle-tail within its housing.

It sometimes happens that after the lockk Y Y has been set it becomesnecessary to again 1 lock the knuckle without permitting the latter toopen. Y

As previously explained, after the lock has by the opening of theknuckle.

can be accomplished by inserting the finger, stick, or any other objectthrough the hole 22 from its seat.

plished by simply pushing the tongue on the block, which is exposedthrough the side, offy its supportingseat.

Various other slight changes might be resorted to in the general formand arrangement of the several parts described without departing fromthe spirit and scope of my ,in-

vention, and hence I would have it under- V8o been set the lock remainsso until released.V Should itY therefore be desirable or necessary tolockV jA the knuckle without first opening same, thisV f 7.

stood that I do not wish to be limited to the f precise details setforth, but consider myself at liberty to make such slight changes and4Valterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a car-coupling the combination with a draw-head, anda knucklemountedtherein,

of a locking-block having a shoulder located at or nearits top andadapted when elevated to engage a seat within the coupling-head abovethe knuckle for suspending the block in a position to be engaged by thetail of the f f knuckle as the latter moves to its open position. Y Y

2. The combination with a coupling-head and a knuckle pivotallysupported therein, of

a locking-block inclosed within said head and Y.

provided at or near its top with a shoulder Y adapted to engage a seatwithin the head Y 1220y .7

above the tail of the knuckle, the said block normally located inposition to lock the knuckle and means thereon for throwing the knuc- Y'Y kle open, substantially as set forth.

3. In a car-coupling the combination with tially as set forth.

4. In a car-coupling the combination with draw-head and a pivotedknuckle, the drawhead having a seat above the knuckle and an openingthrough its wall adjacent to the seat, of a locking-block for lockingthe knuckle in place and provided near its upper end with a shoulder,which when the block is raised to uncoupling position, rests on saidseat in the draw-head.

5. In a car-coupling a knuckle having a rearwardly-projecting tail, thesaid tail having its lower face inclined upwardly from its front to itsrear end, and its upper face approximately horizontal from its frontedge rearwardly a distance to permit the tail to move within a recess inthe locking-block without engaging the latter, and then inclinedupwardly so as to make contact with said locking-block.

6. In a car-coupling the combination with a draw-head, and a knucklepivotally mounted therein, and having a rearwardly-projecting tail, of alocking-block inclosed within the draw-head, the said block providedwith a beveled lip to engage the tail of the knuckle, said tail beingconstructed to permit the block to remain inert during the early openingmovement of the knuckle, and by the continued movement of said tail, tobe disengaged from its seat and deposited on the tail and maintainedthereon in a position to lock automatically during the closing movementof the knuckle.

7. In a'v car-coupling, the combination with a draw-head and a pivotedknuckle, of a locking-block inclosed entirely within the drawhead andprovided with a beveled lip to engage the tail of the knuckle and openthe knuckle, said locking-block normally disposed in position to lockthe knuckle, rigid supporting means within the draw-head to hold thelocking-block out of its locked position, and a tail on the knuckle torelease the locking-block from said unlocked position.

In testimony whereof I have signed this speciiication in the presence oftwo subscrib` ing witnesses.

JAMES TIMHSi Witnesses:

GEO. F. DowNING, R. S. FERGUSON.

